Summary Veterans Justice Outreach/Healthcare Reentry Social Worker (HCRV) is a Senior Social Worker whose primary responsibilities are to provide psychosocial assessments, case management services, continuous quality improvement activities, evaluation/consultation, placement services, referral and linkage to various community agencies to Veterans who are within six (6) months of release from correctional institutions and/or are being monitored by courts; including treatment or problem solving courts. Responsibilities The Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker is administratively responsible for clinical programming and daily operation of the program, as well as the management of program data. Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry activity will focus upon justice-involved Veterans in the following settings: 1) At the front end of the justice system (jails and/or courts), 2) During the duration of Veterans Treatment Court involvement, 3) Upon prison reentry, 4) Hybrid model encompassing court, and jail/prison outreach, and 5) Subject matter expert to provide referrals regarding legal circumstances (i.e. - outstanding warrants, civil matters, criminal/justice involvement, etc.). This position requires an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of the services and benefits available from community, State and Federal agencies. The Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker must have skill in diplomacy, patient advocacy, and negotiation in spanning boundaries of multiple large institutions, including VA, the courts, and/or corrections. This position requires knowledge of correctional facility culture and the impact upon Veterans, institutional, and community perceptions and behavior, as well as skill in assisting Veterans to adopt behaviors adaptive to community living. They attend justice system staff trainings relevant to working with offenders and high-risk populations and represents the VA at community meetings, seeking or maintaining membership on relevant boards, councils and task forces. The Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker also collaborates with other justice clinicians to support engagement in care for eligible Veterans recently discharged from correctional institutions. The Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker may complete suicide risk screenings and comprehensive suicide risk evaluations. The incumbent is required to conduct active outreach to Veterans involved with the justice system, including those who maybe participants, or candidates for participation, in treatment court programs, including Veterans Courts. This outreach may include community-based interviews, assessments and referrals for Veterans contacted in community settings, courts and/or prior to release in jails or prisons, as well as those referred by VA residential programs, medical centers or outpatient clinics. Advanced clinical training, insight and experience is utilized to interpret data and identify viable treatment options. This Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker could serve Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, be poor at self-monitoring, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support. The Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker serves as a consultant on the complex processes Veterans encounter when interacting with government and community agencies. The Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker may perform work in maximum, medium, or minimum security correctional institutions usually under a "no hostage" policy. The Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker is responsible for the assessment, identification, facilitation, referral and linkage to appropriate medical and psychiatric services for Veterans identified as eligible for services. This position requires an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of the services and benefits available from community, State and Federal agencies. The Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker must have skill in diplomacy, patient advocacy, and negotiation in spanning boundaries of multiple large institutions, including VA, the courts, and/or corrections. The Veterans Justice Outreach and Reentry Social Worker documents contacts with justice involved Veterans using charting in progress notes in the electronic health record and appropriate evaluation tools developed for justice outreach, and follows standard procedures regarding the transmission and storage of documents with Veterans' individually-identifiable information. The incumbent takes responsibility for improving professional skills, participating in planning and executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars and institutes, participating in training programs of other disciplines as requested. Travels where necessary, or as assigned in the capacity of community outreach support Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm (May vary depending on deployment and/or assigned facility needs) Telework: No Authorized Travel: Up to 50% may be required. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Function Station: 07270F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Must be able to meet physical demands which include strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distances over difficult terrain, running, climbing, working long hours in primitive or arduous conditions, long periods of standing, and bending and stooping. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Master's degree in Social Work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the school of social work is fully accredited. Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. In addition to the basic requirements stated above. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Licensure: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Association of Social Work Boards: Must complete and pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) advanced generalist or clinical examination unless advanced practice license was grandfathered by the state in which I am licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (i.e., granted prior to the state administering the ASWB) or took the state of California (CA) exam and have a CA advanced practice license. Experience/ Education: At least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment and are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. (1)All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (2)Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (3)Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (4)Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. (5)If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS- 0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUIREMENTS: Meets the needs of customers while supporting the medical center and service missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (patients, visitors, volunteers, and all medical center staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Treats patients, visitors and coworkers in a culturally competent manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Responds to voicemails and emails within 24 hours. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Physically being able to lift and carry objects up to 15 pounds. Conducting street outreach in the community in extreme heat of Southern Nevada. Walking a moderate to high distance to obtain GSA Vehicle and to make contact with Veterans for face-to-face visits in the community, courts or prisons. Ability to climb and descend several flights of stairs and to maintain an individual level of "self-preservation" in the community. Must be able to work in extreme weather conditions, including extreme heat or cold during street outreach and during Point-In-Time counts in the community. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. he Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (or the Act) prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from requesting applicant criminal history record information before extending a conditional or tentative offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S.C § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance to VA at vacofairchanceact@va.gov. Applicant written complaints should include the following: -Administration name: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - Office name, employee name and contact information or contractor who made contact (if known). - Date of contact. - Details regarding the job opportunity announcement applied to, and copies of any documents or other evidence related to the complaint. - Visit Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) for more information.